Garden Support Volunteer

Posted: 27th May 2026 No CommentsCategory:VolunteeringAuthor:Steve

Do you want to give back to your community? Gain new skills and experiences? Support people with mental health issues?

The role is an important part in helping to support people from South-East London coping with mental health conditions to re-establish themselves in the community, through gardening activities.

The basic role requirement is to have an interest in volunteering with people who have mental health conditions. You will need to be able to support and empathise with people and support them in their recovery and development.

This role will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check, as you will be directly involved in working with vulnerable adults without staff supervision.

Role Description

This role is primarily to assist session leaders and to enable co-workers to complete the tasks they have chosen in order to reach their therapeutic goals, working alongside them in their gardening and horticulture-based activities
Working with and supporting our clients (co-workers) who are people living with significant illness, with support from staff and volunteers
Help setting up sessions and participate in giving feedback when sessions end
Being an active part of the team, working with staff to support new co-workers in their first sessions, welcoming them into the project, helping them meet other people and orientating them to the site
Openly talking with co-workers about their health and progress
There may be occasional opportunities to work with the groups in other locations away from the main site, such as visits to other gardens etc
Welcoming visitors to the site, assisting with open days, fairs and other special events on and off-site
You will be invited to attend group supervision sessions, one-to-one’s and joint co-worker and volunteer meetings

We are looking for people with the following abilities:

Great communication skills. You will need to be the sort of person who wants to communicate, enjoys meeting people and has an understanding that it takes time to get to know someone
You will be able to talk openly with co-workers about their health and progress
Demonstrate a high level of sensitivity and an awareness to the individual needs of the co-workers
Be patient in the delivery of activities, always having the time to listen to and support individuals during the session
Be non-judgemental, open and accepting
You will have a cheerful and enthusiastic approach to helping co-workers with their activities
It is desirable that you have knowledge of health issues, mental health and physical disabilities in particular
Ability to work as part of a team is a key aspect of the role
Be reliable with good punctuality and attendance
Be willing to listen and learn from your experiences
Some gardening knowledge is desirable